Young Women Entrepreneurs Win Thousands in Seed Money from the Sandy Area Chamber Young Entrepreneurs Academy

Olivia Berhan (17 years old), CEO of Kelali, and Penelope Lorenzana (11 years old) CEO of LifeThyme Tool
Co. were awarded over $3,000 each of seed money for their respective businesses at the 3rd Annual Sandy Area Chamber Young
Entrepreneurs Academy Shark Tank Investor Panel. Out of 44 students these two young exceptional women rose to the top.
“Winning this year’s competition was absolutely thrilling and exciting; not only for my personal success, but for the great potential [my
business] Kelali has to empower and strengthen women across the globe. I am so grateful for all of the hard work and support that I have
received from so many local entrepreneurs, as well as my fellow students and leaders at the [Sandy Area Chamber] Young Entrepreneurs
Academy,” said Olivia Berhan, age 17, CEO of Kelali.

“The students involved in this program have been through everything a true entrepreneur would go through. From taking a concept to an
idea, then testing viability, and finally writing up a business plan to present to a panel of judges,” said Becky Guertler, Executive Director
for the Sandy Area Chamber Young Entrepreneurs Academy. “With the help of amazing sponsors, these students are able to achieve things
they normally wouldn’t do. Developing, applying and presenting their businesses to a panel of established business men and women, is
scary and challenging for adults, let alone students ages 11-18 years old.”
The Sandy Area Chamber Young Entrepreneurs Academy stands apart by offering a true competitive environment where entries are judged
alongside those of their peers based on specific criteria. Students from across the Salt Lake Valley participated in its award competition and
chose to invest their after-school hours one night a week for the opportunity and to present their business plan at the Investor Panel Shark
Tank Event held at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium.
Penelope Lorenzana said of being picked as the winner, “YEA! has been a great experience. Getting selected to go to the semi-finals just
made it all the better, but, it didn’ come easy, all of my hard work definitely paid off.”
The first-place winners receive an all-expenses paid trip for themselves and a chaperone to Rochester, NY to attend the Regional and Final
competitions from May 3-6, 2017 where they have the opportunity to win thousands more in scholarship money. They also win an editorial
in the My City Journals newspaper as well as a live, TV segment on local television station ABC4 Utah.
About the first place companies:
Kelali Clothing Co. is both a philanthropic and “for profit” company. Kelali is the Amharic word for simplicity. Kelali’s first product is a
hand woven and organic fair trade baby swaddle. The product is produced by Ethiopian Women which helps provide much needed jobs in
the region and helps propel these women towards self-sufficiency.
LifeThyme Tool Co. manufactures high quality chef’s knives and other tools that junior chefs might need in the kitchen. Penelope
Lorenzana (Chef Moppy), age 11, came up with this idea when she realized how difficult it is to use adult-sized knives and other utensils.
Chef Moppy decided to pursue the idea of creating a line of chef’s tools designed for people with small hands and youth who are interested
in cooking.

4 thoughts on “Young Women Entrepreneurs Win Thousands in Seed Money from the Sandy Area Chamber Young Entrepreneurs Academy”

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